reccomendation for the protein shake powder

Ok, so I'm ready to give protein powder a try, but I don't know which one is a good option. What are the options and how most people use them?
I'll most likely use it for shakes (with milk and fruit or chocolate), but also want to experiment adding it to other things (say - pancakes instead of flower). I'd prefer the powder to be in some more neutral flavor, so that I can use my own options for sweetening it (unless someone know a good powder that only tastes good in a specific flavor). The good taste (or no taste, but good texture) is a must!
I'm not looking into any kind of other supplements in it - I'm a girl and don't need to grow big muscles, just add a new option for easy on-the-go protein source.
Are there different kinds of protein source for the powder? Are there any health concerns for any of the sources?

soy is a good choice for girls and it often comes without a taste what so ever. i've seen variants at kroger's and other supermarkets.
common sources include whey (milk by-product), soy, egg and umm ground up, powdered beef... dont really wanna know how that process takes place. lol. whey is preferred as a post-workout because it metabolizes almost instantly and egg is preferred for the opposite reason as a bed time protein. not familiar with soy just cause soy has been known to cause bad side effects for dudes, but it's complete and vegetarian (if thats important to you)
there snt any tested and supported side effects to protein supplements that i know of other than the soy for guys thing. i've also heard the body can typically only absorb about 25 g protein at a time though so excess gets converted into sugars and either burnt or stored, but calories are calories at that point.
i use whey in a post workout shake at a 3:1 (3 g carbs, 1 g protein) ratio by the way. thats the preferred ratio for post wrkout nutrition to restore glycogen (sp?) levels

Gaspari myofusion if you like a little thicker shake
ON Gold standard if you want a little less thick.
cant go wrong with milk chocolate flavor.

Thanks guys! that's good info.
I went to a store today and got a smaller jar of unflavored Whey powder (Whey Factors) - picked this brand just because it was on a front aisle in the store and I didn't see any ingredients in it that I don't like.
I also got a jar Chocolate proZone - 30-30-40 mix especially for Zone diet. I figured that it will be an easy fix for when I don't have time to think about what to mix it with (it tastes good even with plain water and great blended with milk and a couple of ice cubes).
Gaspari myofusion looks very promising - I like that it has multiple protein sources, I might get it to try next time I see it in store. It also seems to have great reviews.
I'll also try Gold Standard once my current small jar of whey is out.

one more question - where do you usually shop for protein powder? I went to VitaminLife, but was thinking that maybe something like Whole Foods might have more natural brands?

Even my local Fred Meyers and Safetway have protein powder. Most stores will have something in their natural foods section, though those tend to taste more chalky to me. You can get it anywhere. Most towns have GNC, and even the Vitamin Shoppe carries some, I've heard (I don't go there, so I don't know for sure). I switch between soy and whey. I wouldn't stay on soy forever if you are a woman. They're still debating over the hormone issues. I would suggest staying away from casein for the most part as SO many people experience intestinal issues on it. If you're not lifting heavy or trying to bulk there's no need for you to even mess with that stuff.

Since it sounds like you're doing the Zone and eating fruit, I would suggest the following:

Vanilla protein powder
strawberries (4 is usually good, depending on their size)
milk or water (ice optional)
up to 1/2 banana

Chocolate protein powder
milk or water (ice optional)
up to 1/2 banana
up to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

I also do green smoothies and add lettuce and spinach to mine, but that takes some getting used to. It's a great way to get in greens, though.

Oh... now I see what Panther was saying about thicker/thinner shakes...
I just tried the little single pouch of whey protein that I also got and it's more like yogurt consistency when blended with 8 oz milk! I I found it super filling, or maybe it's just the bubbles in my stomach from the new food type

I buy the Body Fortress brand at Walmart and find it to be a good value. I have paid more for whey powder that I did not like as much. My favorite recipe is a blended smoothie that has

1/4 cup frozen Blueberries
1/4 cup frozen rasberries
1/2 cup all Natural vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup Orange/Pinapple juice
2 scoops body fortress vanilla whey powder
about 10 ice cubes, blended

I entered it into the database so its easy to log if anyone wanted to try it.

http://fatsecret.com/member/bongoscot/meals/371978/Berry+protein+smoothie

Supplement Giant is where i shop in my city.
If you buy online go with bestpricenutrition.com, bodybuilding.com, or amazon for your protein powder. Bestpricenutrition has the best prices, bodybuilding.com has the best rewards and amazon will keep you up to date on competition.

wow, tried the combination Amethyst recommended with chocolate shake, banana and pb - YUM!!!
the only problem - it totaled 540 calories! I'll have to go easier on pb next time. Today with having walked 5+ miles and planning to climb later I can afford it
Also learned that Chunky pb doesn't work as well in shakes as Smooth variety would.

*pb = peanut butter

lmao - chunky peanut butter! OMG, I needed that, lena.

I used to own a GNC store. Designer Whey is the most mixable. You can even cook with it. I also liked the protein powder by a company called Universal.

Amazon is where I pick mine up,
Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard, its usually varies per flavor around 20bux for 2Lb.
The flavors are great, instantized for quick mixing with no clumps.
Its 90% pure protein isolates by weight, 1 scoop servings at 25g protein. I keep double chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry in the house for after workouts, I usually mix with a cup of milk, some ice and a half of banana for carbs and sugar to help deliver the goods.


I looked into Body Fortress as you can pick up three 2lb containers for 40 bux at walmart.com, but after trying it out at my buddies house it just didn't seem to be as smooth and the tast seemed a bit off, with the vanilla anyway. I know that most don't really care about tast and get by, but if your drinking the stuff everyday then you want somethign you don't have to force down.

I tried adding a scoop of whey protein to my Irish oatmeal this morning. It went straight to garbage after cooking - yak! Not sure if it'll be better to use Soy protein for this purpose, or it's just the brand I used. I ended up having this milk curd texture, unpleasant smell and taste
Anyone tried adding protein powder to hot dishes?

I'll say it once and i'll say it 100 more times. All protein powders are not created equal, you buy cheap you get cheap. You buy 73/27 ground chuck you get a grease pit, you buy 93/7 ground chuck you get a lean great tasting BURGER. You want delicous protein stick to Gaspari/ON/BSN/Even universal has a new protein out that is rockin the taste buds. These also have the ingredients you WANT. Hope this helps

Cook the oatmeal first, and either let it cool for a few minutes, then stir in the protein powder or mix the protein powder with a small amount of water or milk in a separate bowl until smooth, then pour over cooked oats and stir. If you want to start baking with protein use soy protein, it makes a great flour substitution.